The presently disclosed subject matter relates to an electricity supply vehicle that is provided with an electricity storage device charged with generated energy of an electric generator driven by an internal combustion engine or with regenerated energy of the vehicle and that supplies electricity to an external equipment located outside of the vehicle during stop of the vehicle.
There is an electric motor vehicle in which an internal combustion engine and an electric motor are mounted and then wheels are driven by one or both of these. In the electric motor vehicle, control is performed such that when the remaining charging rate (the remaining charging amount) of the electricity storage device goes lower during the running, electricity is generated by the electric generator mounted on the vehicle so that the remaining charging rate of the electricity storage device is maintained. For example, JP-A-2002-354612 discloses a technique that altitude information of the route along which the vehicle runs is acquired and then, when the route has an upslope interval, running is performed in such a manner that electricity required for ascending the interval completely is maintained (with generating electricity, when necessary) (for example, see JP-A-2002-354612).
Further, in recent years, techniques have been developed that electricity is taken in from a commercial electricity source having a satisfactory generation efficiency and then charging the electricity storage device of an electric motor vehicle so that the running range of the electric motor is extended and that the occasion of operation of the internal combustion engine is thereby reduced further so that carbon dioxide emission is reduced. Such an electric motor vehicle utilizing also a commercial electricity source is provided with an electricity storage device of larger size than that of an ordinary electric motor vehicle.
Further, in recent years, techniques have been developed that electricity stored in a large-size electricity storage device mounted on an electric motor vehicle is utilized for realizing the use of electric appliances even at places where commercial electricity supply is unavailable. Such a technique permits, for example, the use of electric appliances at a place visited in a trip on the vehicle or at the time of power failure.
On the other hand, even in such vehicles provided with a large-size electricity storage device, when the remaining charging rate (the remaining charging amount) of the electricity storage device goes lower, operation of the internal combustion engine is started so that electricity is generated by the electric generator mounted on the vehicle so as to maintain the remaining charging rate of the electricity storage device. In a case that an external equipment is used at a place visited in a trip on the vehicle, a problem arises that since the usage time of the external equipment is after the running of the vehicle, a sufficient remaining charging rate is not ensured in the battery. When the external equipment is used in a state that the remaining charging rate of the battery is insufficient, electric power generation by the electric generator is started. Nevertheless, this electric generator is driven by a combustion engine, and hence noise, vibration, exhaust gas, and the like are generated. This situation could be unacceptable in the environment where the external equipment is used.
The technique disclosed in JP-A-2002-354612 is for ensuring electricity for running. Thus, the use of an external equipment after running is not taken into consideration. Further, also in common hybrid cars, although a fixed charging rate is always ensured, the ensured charging rate (the target charging rate) is of a fixed value and hence electricity to be used for an external equipment is not ensured. Thus, when an external equipment such as a microwave oven causing large power usage is used, the frequency of the occasion increases that the internal combustion engine is operated so that charging is performed.